Sense & extreme sports
Mountain Biking
220 km of marked out paths and 3 downhill tracks.
Mountain Biking Guidebook available in the Dévoluy Tourist Offices (3 €).
Climbing
Les Gicons, Les Gillardes, Bure, Defilé des Etroits: Dévoluy has four climbing areas and hundreds of climbing routes, classified from 3a to 7b.
Several of these sectors were opened between 1965 and 1975 by the late alpinist Rene Demaison.
Discover the hundred and ten new climbing routes of the Gicons area.
Climbing Guidebook available in the Dévoluy Tourist Offices (23 €).
Via Ferrata
Via Ferrata in the Defilé des Etroits The Narrows is a unique site.
A car park and toilets and then direct access to the cliffs. Three routes of variable difficulties (the Beaumes Crossing, the Vertigo Way, or Super Vertigo), this Via Ferrata is laid out along the cliffs overhanging the bed of the Souloise river, and allows mountain guides to watch each climber progress along the gorge in safety.
Winter Sports in Summer?
Contrary to popular belief skiing and snowboarding are not just winter sports. Head for the glaciers in the nearby National parks to see what we mean!
Canyoning
Try canyoning for the first time in the Defilé des Etroits near St Etienne en Dévoluy, then go out with a guide for the bigger and better sites nearby. Canyoning consists of going down a rocky river in anyway practical. A unique mix of climbing, walking and swimming!
White Water Adventures
The area is known for its water sports too! Rafting, canoeing, and hydrospeed etc are all possible on the alpine rivers in the nearby Ecrins National park.
Caving
The Dévoluy is a limestone area with hundreds of natural caves and caverns carved out by the passage of water over time. Speleologists come from over Europe to the Dévoluy to go underground and explore among the 585 known caves! The deepest Rama des Aiguilles goes down an amazing 980 metres!
